Tennessean's Babysitting Career Ruined

[MikeC]

3-year-old's ride in traffic results in neglect charge
By BRANDON PUTTBRESE
[email protected]
— Brandon Puttbrese, 615-278-5153


A baby sitter was arrested Monday after police said they found a 3-year-old boy in his care riding a bicycle more than a mile from his home in the middle of traffic.

Douglas Wayne Brown, 27, of Murfreesboro is charged on suspicion of felony child neglect. The boy's mother later told police she left her son in Brown's care at a home on Wenlon Drive.

But police say Brown was sleeping around 10 a.m. when the boy was riding through on-coming traffic. Witnesses said the boy was nearly struck several times while pedaling on North Tennessee Boulevard.

"The child was on the street going in and out of traffic and being chased on foot by a (white female) attempting to get him to stop," Officer David Blackwell reported.

The unknown Good Samaritan told police she became concerned when she saw the young boy riding his bicycle on the busy road.

Police started searching the neighborhoods near the Cedar Park Trailer Court for the child's home. After an hour, police contacted the Department of Children's Services to assist in finding the boy's family, reports show.

With the help of various residents, officials located the boy's grandmother, who lives in the trailer park. The grandmother told police a baby sitter was supposed be at the Wenlon Drive home watching the child.

Officers knocked on the door, but no one answered. With no response, police entered the residence and reportedly found Brown asleep in a bed upstairs.

"Brown stated that he fell asleep and that the child must have gotten out," Blackwell stated in the report.

The boy's mother told police Brown was not her usual baby sitter, but called him when her regular sitter was unavailable. She told officials she woke Brown up before leaving for work Monday morning.

"Tracing the route that the child took, it is possible that he rode in excess of one mile," Blackwell stated. DCS will continue an investigation to ensure the child's welfare, the officer added.

Brown was booked at the Rutherford County jail on felony child neglect charges. Bond was set at $5,000.

A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 5 in General Sessions Court.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Maybe he was checkin' to see what his Mama was "Peddlin" :shock:

 

[gertjie]

That is enough to make you go cold in your seat!

 

[chrisy]

Hope she got a reprimand to.

 

[Jogeephus]

I just wonder how many cars drove by the child rather than stopping. In my opinion, there should have been no oncoming traffic, everyone should have stopped since it was obvious the child was in danger. My hats off to the lady who did.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Has everyone else noticed that these stories usually involve the words "trailer park" or something similar? I would also like to point out that MOST of these are from Tennessee - keep up the good work Mike, we appreciate you taking the time to uncover these nuggets of information.

 

[Alice]

This whole story begs lots of questions.

Aside what Jojee wondered about...traffic not stopping entirely...which you'd think would be the only thing on other drivers minds...

Officers knocked on the door, but no one answered. With no response, police entered the residence and reportedly found Brown asleep in a bed upstairs.

I didn't know trailer houses had second stories. :shock:

"Brown stated that he fell asleep and that the child must have gotten out," Blackwell stated in the report.

That's got to be one of the "brightest" statements I've ever heard. I don't know how the police officer kept from smackin' the guy.

The boy's mother told police Brown was not her usual baby sitter, but called him when her regular sitter was unavailable. She told officials she woke Brown up before leaving for work Monday morning.

Sounds like Mom had an overnight guest...hmmmmm...wonder how long she'd known him...maybe a few hours or so?

"Tracing the route that the child took, it is possible that he rode in excess of one mile," Blackwell stated. DCS will continue an investigation to ensure the child's welfare, the officer added.

I'd have to wonder what that little one was running from...

Mom needs to be investigated, also.

Just my angry 2 cents...

Alice

 

[Bullbuyer]

Dear Alice -
With regard to the "...bed upstairs...' comment in the story. My guess is that particular trailer has been 'enhanced' and there are still some plywood and other framing materials exposed.
Here in WV when someone adds on to a trailer in hopes of making it look like a house we call the resulting hybrid a "TROUSE".

 

[Lammie]

Dear Alice -
With regard to the "...bed upstairs...' comment in the story. My guess is that particular trailer has been 'enhanced' and there are still some plywood and other framing materials exposed.
Here in WV when someone adds on to a trailer in hopes of making it look like a house we call the resulting hybrid a "TROUSE".

Heck yeah you can get a manufactured home with a second floor! They are more popular up north, but we have one down the road from us. It's downright stately!

My BIL rescued a child recently from a busy intersection in Granbury. He had wandered out of his back yard where his siblings were suppposed to be watching him. He was the only person who stopped, as well. It is amazing what folks will just drive by.

 

[peg4x4]

There was a 8 year old kid killed while waiting for the schoolbus.. the bus stop is on the north side of the road-
the kid was in the southbound lane,so far over the driver went
into the northbound lane insted of hitting the southbound side ditch..Kid ran back toward the bus stop,directly in front of him..People are wanting to blame the schooldistrict,traffic,everything except the parents who were not out there with them.. Driver said kid had his fingers in his
ears and was sticking his tongue out at the cars.. Apperently noone had told him not to play in traffic..

 

[chrisy]

Alice the artical said the Grandmother lived in a trailer park the Mother lived down the road, as it has an upatairs I assumed in a house. It also said she called the babysitter Monday morning and she woke him it did not say in her house. She could have called him on the phone. Although I still go by what I said earlier, she needs reprimanding to.

 

[Lammie]

There was a 8 year old kid killed while waiting for the schoolbus.. the bus stop is on the north side of the road-
the kid was in the southbound lane,so far over the driver went
into the northbound lane insted of hitting the southbound side ditch..Kid ran back toward the bus stop,directly in front of him..People are wanting to blame the schooldistrict,traffic,everything except the parents who were not out there with them.. Driver said kid had his fingers in his
ears and was sticking his tongue out at the cars.. Apperently noone had told him not to play in traffic..

I drive my son to school in the mornings and it is pretty dark out there. There are kids all down the street waiting on the bus and I live in fear that one of them will dart out in front of me. Bus picks them up and some of them live less than a half mile from the school! Parents are sitting in cars waiting on the bus. For Pete's sake, you lazy slobs, drive that half mile to the school, would ya? When I was a kid, if you lived in the city limits, you didn't get a bus ride. Period.

 

[cowgirl580]

Did ya'll see on the news last night about the 8 yr old that called 911 on his mother? She was driving drunk with him and his 5 y.o. sister in the car. The mother kept grabbing the cell phone. At one point she even bit the child for calling 911. They found her eventually through GPS from the cell and the landmarks the child was able to give. She had pulled into a fire station.

http://www.myfoxkc.com/myfox/pages/...ale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

There is a video link of the call on the right hand side.